Poultry defeathering apparatus



April 21, 1953 c. F. HUNT 2,635,284

POULTRY DEFEATHERING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l mmmm 5 R w GW mW M N 2 ON NN ow WW 0 a m 5 1 u w A A l m 4W? AWr flM m 2 II 1 II M April 1953 c. F. HUNT POULTRY DEFEATHERING APPARATUS 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1950 INVENTOR. 67162456 F HI/NT BY April21, 1953 c, F, HUNT 2,635,284

POULTRY DEFEATHERING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 6865 68 INVENTOR.

69 CHARLLJ f hU/Vr 79 69 BY ATTO M576.

Patented Apr. 21, 195 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POULTRY DEFEATHERINGAPPARATUS Charles F. Hunt, Akron, Ohio Application September 19, 1950,Serial No. 185,555

i ,The present invention relates generally as indicated to a poultrydefeathering apparatus and has for one of its primary objects theprovision of an apparatus by which thorough defeathering can beaccomplished in a very economical and efficacious manner. Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part application of my co-pendingapplication SerialNo. 25,358 filed May 6, 1948, for

Poultry Defeathering Method, now Patent No.

of down and hair ina single operation without entailing supplementalplucking operations, such 9 Claims. (Cl. 17-11.1)

thorough plucking additionally being accomplished withoutinjury to thepoultry.

A further object is to provide a defeathering apparatus which cleansesthe poultry as an incident to the defeathering thereof.

Still another object is the provision of a defeathering apparatus whichenables complete and automatic defeathering of poultry even in regionsthereof which have been heretofore relatively inaccessible with knownapparatuses and methods. Still another object is the provision of anovel means for separating feathers from the means which plucks the samefrom the poultry.

and to exclude germs and preclude bruising or other injury to the fowlwhereby the same may be safely placed in cold storage withoutdiscoloring, said pellets are so formed or are of such material as to beresilient, soft rubber or rubberlik material being preferred.

Said apparatus further includes a perforated wall through which thefeathers are adapted to be knocked exteriorly of the apparatus by thepellets, said pellets beingretained in the apparatus and re-circulatedby said propelling means. As a, further feature of 'the apparatus, meansare provided for spraying the pellets with water or the like to therebylubricate and wash the same, said wet pellets and water particles whenpropelled against the fowl being further operative to thoroughly cleansethe skin of the fowl. Thus, the fowl upon being removed from theapparatus will be in a thoroughly defeathered and clean condition readyfor the usual subsequent operations involving the cleaning of theinterior of the fowl, etc. preparatory to sale or cold storage thereof.

It necessarily follows from the foregoing general description of themachine that the present method involves broadly the removal of feathersand cleaning by the bombardment of the fowl with resilient pellets andmore particularly the bombardment of the fowl with wet pellets and waterparticles for further increasing the skin cleansing efliciency. Fromanother aspect, the present invention also contemplates the novel methodof separating feathers from the pellets which involves the knocking ofthe feathers by said pellets through a screen of mesh small enough toretain the pellets within the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, comprises the features herein-after fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed; j

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the presentinvention, a portion of the front wall being cut away to more clearlyillustrate the internal construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross section view taken substantially along the line 22,Fig. 1;

'Fig. 3 is a cross section view taken substantially along the line'3--3,Fig. 2; i

Figs. 4-9 are perspective views of various forms of pellets which may beemployed;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a preferred form ofimpeller rotatably mounted in the lower portion of the apparatus;

Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively side and front elevation views of aconveyor for carrying a fowl attached thereto through the apparatus andfor rotating the fowl while in the apparatus;

Figs. 13 and 14 are elevation views of two other types of pellets;

Fig. 15 is a front elevation view of a modified form of apparatus;

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary cross-section view taken substantially alongthe line I6l 6, Fig. 15; and

Fig. 17 is a vertical cross-section view taken substantially along theline l1-l'l, Fig. 16.

Referring now to. the drawings and first more especially to Figs. land 2thereof, the embodiment of the machine illustrated includes a cabinet Ihaving a screened front wall 2 formed as by uniformly spaced verticallydisposed paralshown).

Journalled in said cabinet is an impeller l comprising a shaft llprojected through said cabinet and having keyed or otherwise secured atone end thereof a pulley l2 adapted to be driven in the directionindicated by the arrow It by any convenient power means (not shown).Included in said cabinet i is a partition I5 which defines with the rearwall IS a passage I6 leading upward from the impeller Ill and curvedforwardly so as to face toward the screened front wall 2. The lowerportion of said partition l5 partially encircles impeller l8 and formswith the downwardly and rearwardly sloping wall portion I! of saidcabinet a trough I8 into which, as will presently appear, pellets areadapted to be collected for circulation through the passage 16 and thustoward wall 2 by impeller l0.

Projecting radially from shaft H are a series of pairs of axially spacedand diametrically opposed vanes l9-lying in planes passing through theaxis of said shaft, alternate pairs of said vanes being disposed 90apart, as best illustrated in Fig. 10, so as to balance the impeller andto uniformly distribute loads thereon.

Through the lower portion of that side of trough 18 which is defined bypartition l5 are a series of openings 20 through which pellets areadapted to gravitate for being impelled by impeller I0 through passageHi. In front of openings 20 and longitudinally shiftable in said troughI8 is a gate 2| having spaced tooth-like portions 22 thereon adapted toselectively cover and uncover such openings. Thus, with trough I8 filledwith pellets it is possible tostart the impeller l0 under sub-desiredrunning speed, gate 2| may be shifted to a position permitting pelletsto drop through openings 2fl for propulsion by said impeller. It isusually desirable to locate the openings 20 so as not to be in registerwith the vanes IS in which case the pellets will first enter betweensuccessive vanes and then shift or deflect axially into the path of thevanes. At the lower edge of passage I6 there are provided a series ofspreader blocks 23 which are operative, as

evident from the drawing, to minimize chewing up and damaging of anypellets which may be M disposed at the tips of the vanes l9.

When the pellets are made of soft rubber or rubber-like material,lubrication thereof is desirable in order to preclude sticking thereofin said trough I8 and for this purpose a water spray pipe 24 controlledas by a valve 43 is mounted longitudinally of said cabinet I abovetrough 18 but preferably below the terminus of passage It, said pipeincluding a plurality of openings therethrough through which water orlike liquid is. adapted to be sprayed onto the pellets therebelow, suchwater spray in addition to lubricating the: pellets, functioning toclean the pellets by flushing foreign matter therefrom. Such wettedpellets together with water particlesissuing from the upper end ofpassage IS in impinging upon a fowl interposed between screened wall 2and the opposed end of passage it will operate not only to remove:feathers from the fowl but to thoroughly cleanse or wash the'exposedskin thereof. It is apparent that the volume of water may besubstantially increased to further accentuate such cleansing or washingaction, in which case it can be said that the pellets are entrained in afluid stream and carried thereby for impingement or collision with thefowl disposed in the path of the pellets. It is further evident that inlieu of impeller I0, fluid under pressure including either liquids orgases may be employed for propelling the pellets toward the fowl to bede-feathered.

Referring now to otherfeatures of this invention, there is providedalong the upper portion of said cabinet 5 a conveyor rail 25 of anydesired construction, carrying a plurality of spaced holders to therotatable parts 26 of which the legs of the fowl may be tied, saidholders being adapted to be moved along said conveyor rail throughcabinet I as by cables 44 interconnecting successive holders to thussubject the fowl suspended therefrom to impingement by the pelletsissuing from passage l6. Said holder parts 26, as best shown in Figs. 11and 12, include a pair of arms 27 arranged to spread apart the legs ofthe fowl a convenient distance, for example about eight inches, so as toprovide access of the pellets to regions ofthe fowl between the legs.

Each holder includes a body 45 with freely rotatable grooved rollers 46thereon engaging the upper and lower edges of rail 25 whereby saidholder comprising body 45 and holder part 26 rotatably supported by saidbody may be drawn through the machine as by the cables 44 whichinterconnect successive holders. Said conveyor rail 25 and holder parts'26 are further provided with interengaging parts 28 and 29, herein arack and gear respectively, whereby the holders, and thus the fowlsuspended therefrom, will be rotated about a vertical axis during thepassage of the holders with the fowl thereon through said cabinet lFurthermore, said rail 25 is preferably inclined as illustrated wherebyevery portion of the fowl during its transportation through said cabinetI will be impinged by the pellets even though the vertical height of thefowl is greater than the vertical width of passage [6. In order thateach holder part 26 will hang in a vertical position during movementalong the inclined section of rail 25, a universal joint 41 isassociated therewith For supporting the fowl in a substantiallyvertical'position during its passage through said cabinetl against theimpact of the pellets there- U against, parallel guide rails 30 aremounted in said cabinet at the level of the fowl so as to be engagedthereby.

' To facilitate defeathering of the fowlaround I6 and the pelletsissuing therefrom. To permit such supporting of the fowl on said shelf,guide rails 30 are curved forwardly and downwardly of cabinet I, asclearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Asa further feature of this invention, a swinging door 32 is provided ateach end of cabinet I,

and inwardly adjacent each door 32 is a rubber or fabric wall 33including a. vertical slit 34 therethrough through which doors and slitsthe fowl is adapted to be drawn, such walls and doors being operative topreclude loss of pellets glancing off the fowl or struck by otherpellets so as to move in a direction toward such slits and doors. Anypellets which pass between the slits 34 will strike .against said doors32, drop downward, and be directed by the sloping walls 35 of cabinet Iinto trough I 8.

With reference to the pellets, the same may be of a variety of differentforms as exemplarily illustrated in Figs. 4-9. As previously indicated,

said pellets are preferably made of rubber or rubber-like material thehardness of which can be varied over a wide range correlatively with thevelocity thereof. For example, satisfactory results have been obtainedwith pellets of a hardness of 35 durometer propelled by an impeller lhaving a vane tip velocity of about 4,000 feet per minute, the velocityof the pellets at the time of impingement thereof with the fowltherefore being somewhat less due to engagement of the pellets with oneanother and with the walls of passage l6, and deceleration of thepellets caused by ascension thereof through passage l6. Obviously,softer pellets of 20-25 durometer, for example, may be propelled at acorrespondingly tations in the fowl for thus effectively knocking anddrawing out feathers and hair which may be disposed in suchindentations. Pellets 4 of the order of to in size have producedexcellent results.

The pellet 5 illustrated in Fig. 5 is provided with a plurality of lugs31 providing a number of external corners and edges adapted to enterindentations in the fowl as indicated above.

The pellet 6 illustrated in Fig. 6 is of a polygonal cross section atits intermediate section 38 and is formed with frusto-pyramidal endportions 39 of corresponding cross section,

The pellet l illustrated in Fig. 7 comprises a sphere formed withserrations 40 thereabout, such serrations being operative to improve thefeather removing efficiency as compared with an unserrated sphere.

The pellet B illustrated in Fig. 8 is of a tubular form provided withaxially extending lugs 4| projecting radially therefrom. In this casethe tubular form of the pellet renders the same more readily deformableand therefore may be made of a somewhat hardermaterial but yet propelledat a. velocity corresponding witha softer but solid pellet.

therein or of a tubular or other readily deformable or resilient form.

The operation of the machine will now be described. First, of course,pellets are loaded into trough l8, it having been found that some 1,300pellets per foot of length of impeller I6 is adequate.

The number of pellets used is not, of course, critical except from thestandpoint of productive capacity of the machine, it beingunderstandable that even a single pellet is sufficient if propelled atthe fowl hundreds or thousands of times. With 1,300 pellets per footpropelled at the rate indicated, virtually a storm is created enablingcleaning and defeathering of some 500 fowl per hour for a machine ofsix-foot width with one attendant taking care of one or more machines.

At this stage, with pellets in trough I61, gate 2| is in a positioncovering openings 20 leading into the impeller casing whereupon saidimpeller may be started under no load. After having started saidimpeller, gate 2| may be shifted to uncover openings 20 and the water inpipe 24 turned on by manipulation of valve 43. Within a few seconds, acontinuous stream of pellets issues from passage l6 and in striking wall2 and bouncing therefrom collide with one another thereby creating adense storm of pellets rapidly moving within cabinet I. With the machineso operating, poultry previously subjected to a one minute slack scaldin water at l23-128 F. may be transported through said cabinet whilesimultaneously rotated to thereby subject the poultry to impingement bysaid pellets, such impingement effecting a complete defeathering andcleansing of the poultry as previously indicated. As the feathers drop,the pellets missing or glancing from the poultry strike such feathersand knock them through the spaces between bars 3 to the exterior of saidcabinet. The spent pellets then drop into trough 18 wherein they arewetted, washed, and lubricated prior to being again circulated byimpeller Ill,

The forms of pellets 5i and 52 illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 haveproved to be particularly eflicient, said pellets being of sphericalform of about 1 diameter and provided with hemispherical nubs 53 thereonadapted to enter the indentations in the fowl, said nubs being about A"in diameter. To impart added resilience and greater ease of deformationthe pellet 52 has a "diameter hole 54 through the center.

The modified form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 15-17 comprisesacabinet 6| having screened walls 62 along its opposite sides. Extendingthrough the upper portion of said cabinet is a conveyor rail 63 movablymounting a series of fowl carriage units 64 thereon for passage throughthe cabinet from one end to the other. As best shown in Fig. 17, saidcarriages 64 are each adapted to be attached to the legs of the fowl tosuspend the fowl in a generally vertical position.

Below the conveyor and the fowl attached to the carriages 64 is a plateunit 55 formed with two rows of pyramidal depressions 66 in staggeredand extending across such openingis an impeller 38:.iournalled in abearingg69 and having a drive pulley Hi affixedlthereto. Each impellerhas-,one or more upstanding vanes H on its upper surface adapted,uponrotationofthe impeller to direct The pulleys l=will have trained"thereover a.

suitable belt driven as by an electric motor (not shown).

To operate the apparatusof Figs. 15.-17jthe cabinet is loaded with alarge number of pellets and as the impellers 68- reach normal runningspeed the pellets will be shot upwardly at the birds carried through thecabinet 6!, some pellets striking the birds directly, othersstriking thescreened-walls62 and curved top wall. of the cabinet and bouncing fromsuch walls against the birds and other pellets. Finally, the pelletsfirst shot upward will have spent their energy and will gravitate downto the impellers 68 for re-circulation. The feathers which areremovedfrom the birds will be knocked through the screened walls 52.

Here again as in-the form of apparatus illustrated in Fig. l-the endwalls of the cabinet 6| may be'provided with slit fabric end walls orthe like and/or swinging doors toprevent loss of pellets.

Other modes, of fapplying the principle'of the invention may beemployed, change being made as regards the. details described, providedthefeatures stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent ofsuch; be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention:

1. A poultrydefeathering machine comprising a cabinet formed with agenerally cylindrical impeller housing including a passage leadingtangentially therefrom, means for supporting poultry in said cabinetopposite such passage, an impeller within, said impeller housing adaptedwhen rotated therein to direct resilient pellets through suchpassageagainst the poultry,'said'impeller comprising a shaft coaxialwith such impeller housing provided with vanes projecting radiallytherefrom, and spreader blocks forming apportion of the wall of suchimpeiler housing adjacent such passage and oppositethevanes of,said,im--

peller, said spreaderblocks being of V-shaped cross-section in a planecontaining the axis of said shaft.

2. Apparatus for deieathering poultry by subjecting the poultry toimpingement vby-moving resilient pellets comprising a cabinetsurrounding the poultry and containing a substantial number of resilientpellets, an impeller in said cabinet operative to propel the pelletstoward the poultry, and means to return the spent pellets to saidimpeller for re-circulation, said cabinet being provided with a screenedside wall through which the feathers from thepoultry are adapted to beknocked by pellets which glance ofi" the poultry and cabinet walls andwhich miss the poultry.

3. A poultryv defeathering machine comprisinga cabinet provided with ascreened wall, an impeller means for propelling resilient pellets.toward .suoh screened-wall, said impeller means having apelletdischarge passage leadinginto said; cabinet and'terminatingin an openingwhich faces-and'is spaced fromsuch screened'wall a distance toaccommodate poultry for impingementby the pellets, and means associatedwith saidcabinet for suspending poultry in the space between suchscreened wall and such passage in the path of the pellets. wherebypellets impinging upon the poultry are effective to remove. featherstherefrom, such screened wall having a mesh of size such that onlyfeathers are knocked therethrough by pellets which glance off thepoultry and which miss the'poultry, and the pellets thus impelled towardthe'poultry and such screened Wall being of a size too large to passthrough the latter whereby the pellets are retained within said cabinetfor re-use.

4. A poultry defeathering machine comprising a cabinet, means associatedwith said cabinet for supporting poultryinthe upper portion, of saidcabinet, an impeller means associated withsaid cabinet'for propellingresilient deformable pellets, said impeller means having a pelletdischarge passage leading into said cabinet and terminating in anopening which faces the poultry thus supported, whereby the pellets arepropelled against the poultry to remove feathers therefrom, a trough inthe lower portion of said cabinet provided with an opening through whichpellets gravitate into said impeller for re-circulation, and agate insaid'trough shifta'ble to positions covering and' uncovering suchopening in said trough.

5. A poultry defeathering machine comprising a cabinet, means associatedwith said cabinet for supporting poultry in the upper portion of saidcabinet, an impeller means for propelling resilient deformable pellets,said impeller means having. a pellet discharge passage. leading intosaid cabinet and terminating in an opening which faces the poultry thussupported. whereby the pellets are propelled against the poultry toremove feathers therefrom, a trough in the lower portion of said cabinetprovided with an opening through which pellets gravitate into. saidimpeller forre-circulation, said impeller comprising a rotary shaftprovided with axially spaced and uniformly staggered vanes projectingradially therefrom, and a generally cylindrical housing for said shaftand. vanes into which such opening in said trough leads and from which,such pellet discharge passage leads. 4

6. A poultry defeathering machine comprising a cabinet, means associatedwith said cabinet for supporting. poultry therein, an impeller means forpropelling resilient pellets against poultry thus supported, saidimpeller means having a pellet discharge passage leading .into' saidcabinet, and a shelf in said cabinet supporting the poultry with itsvent and neck in a line generally parallel to the. path of the pelletsdischarged from such passage.

7. A poultry defeathering machine. comprising a cabinet, meansassociated with said cabinet for suspending poultry by its legs independing relation from said means, an impeller means for propellingresilient pellets against the poultry thus suspended, said impellermeans having a generally horizontally disposed pellet discharge passageleading into said cabinet and terminating in an opening which faces oneside'oi' the poultry thus suspended, and guide means in said cabinetdisposed against the opposite side of 'thepoultry for supporting thepoultry against the impact of the pellets. 7

8. Apparatus for'defeathering poultry by subjecting the-poultry toimpingement by moving resilient pellets comprising a cabinet containinga substantial number of resilient. pellets,

means associated with said cabinet for supporting poultry in the upperportion of said cabinet, an impeller in the lower portion of saidcabinet operative to propel said resilient pellets against the poultrythus supported, and means in said cabinet to return the spent pellets tosaid impeller for recirculation, said means comprising cabinet walls inthe lower portion of said cabinet which slope toward and lead to saidimpeller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 characterized further in that said cabinetis formed with an opening at the bottom to which said walls slope, andthat said impeller extends into such opening 10 and has an upstandingvane adapted to propel upwardly said pellets gravitating thereto.

CHARLES F. HUNT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,934,494 Gillespie Nov.. '7, 1938 2,344,476 Turnbull Mar. 14,1944 2,423,560 Jasper July 8, 1947 2,510,927 Huyett June 6, 19502,523,302 Hunt Sept. 26, 1950

